Silver Spring man arrested on charges of sexual abuse

Teacher at Sidwell Friends, 65, allegedly abused former student

A Washington, D.C., private school teacher from Silver Spring was arrested last week for sexual abuse he allegedly committed on a male student while the student was doing chores at the teacher's house, police said.

Robert Andrew Peterson, 65, of the 2400 block of Homestead Drive in Silver Spring, was a teacher at Sidwell Friends middle school, a private school in Washington, D.C., when he allegedly sexually abused a male student between June 2008 and August 2009, according to a news release from Montgomery County Police.

Peterson allegedly began contact with the student outside of school in summer 2008 and offered to pay him to do chores at Peterson's Silver Spring home, the release said. Peterson made "inappropriate sexual contact" with the student while we was working at the home, the release said.

The victim had been a student of Peterson's but the alleged abuse occurred when the victim was no longer Peterson's student, said Capt. Paul Starks, a police spokesman, on Jan. 21.

Peterson is charged with one count of sexual abuse of a minor and two counts of fourth-degree sexual offense. He was released on a $250,000 personal bond.

"He's being charged with one count but what we can say is that between 2008 and 2009 the victim went to the defendant's home  to do yardwork, cleaning, move furniture  and that's when the instances occurred," Starks said.

The abuse was reported to an adult in September 2008 and the adult then contacted the police, the release said. Montgomery County Police began investigating and Peterson was arrested Jan. 14 of this year, the release said.

Peterson was also charged in December in District Court of Queen Anne's County with fourth-degree sexual offense, sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree assault, according to online court records. Starks would not say whether those charges are stemming from an incident with the same victim from Montgomery County, but that Montgomery County investigators had been in contact with Queen Anne's police during the investigation.

Peterson's Rockville-based attorney Barry Helfand could not be immediately reached for comment.

Detectives would like to hear from anyone who has knowledge of any inappropriate contact by Peterson and a juvenile. Those with information are asked to call the Family Crimes Division at 240-773-5400.